109.57 knots makes Richard the fastest sailor on earth

by Claire Bates, Mailonline/Sail-World on 29 Mar 2009 While on water Australian sailors Simon McKeon and Tim Daddo have just broken the speed barrier of 50 knots in their sailing boat Macquarie Innovation, a British engineer has become the fastest human on earth powered by the wind alone, in a land sailing boat.

Richard Jenkins clocked 109.57 knots in his Ecotricity 'Greenbird' powered only by 25 knot winds. He eclipsed the previous record of 100.8 knots, set by American Bob Schumacher ten years ago.

The Greenbird, which looks like a stretched missile with a giant fin, is the most advanced wind powered vehicle on Earth. It uses technology found on Aircraft and Formula 1 cars to achieve staggering speeds without an engine.

Eco-businessman Dale Vince OBE and Richard Jenkins had hoped to set a new record in Australia last August, but waited in vain for ideal dry conditions.

Their record run finally took place this week at Lake Ivanpah just south of Las Vegas, coincidentally in the same week as the fifty knot barrier was broken on water.

The Greenbird accelerated from rest to record speed across the full 2-mile length of the lake.

They were cheered on by over 100 land sailors, during the 'Americas cup' (land sailing) regatta.

Mr Vince said: 'The record is an amazing achievement. It shows what is achievable with great British engineering and the power of the wind. In the next twenty years I firmly believe that wind power will be our main energy source and wind-powered cars will no longer be the stuff of dreams. He said Ecotricity would soon be revealing a wind-powered super car for everyday use.

The Greenbird is the fifth generation in a line of vehicles designed and built by Richard Jenkins on his ten year quest to break the world speed record.

The name is a nod to Donald Campbell's Bluebird, a fuel-powered car which achieved record speeds in the 60s.

Testing was carried out in the UK, Canada, America and Australia, in an attempt to track down the rare set of weather and natural surface conditions required to achieve maximum speed.

'It has been an incredibly difficult challenge,' Mr Jenkins said. 'Half the challenge is technical, having to create a more efficient vehicle than the previous record holder, then the rest is luck, being in the right place, at the right time, to get the perfect conditions, with the right people watching.
I must have been on record standby at some remote location around the world for at least two months of every year for the past ten years.

'Then everything came together perfectly and the Greenbird stepped up to the mark and performed amazingly. I am absolutely delighted.'


Letters from Readers:

I fully acknowledge Richard Jenkins land speed record at Lake Ivanpah of 109+ knots, but question 'the fastest wind powered man on earth' as ice boats have gone much faster with the E-Skeeter during fleet racing and not even going for a record.

These iceboats have been radar measured and course race clocked several times at 120mph/190kph. These boats commonly race at 80mph/130kph to 100mph/160kph in 18-20knot breezes and over 25knots will reach and probabaly more, 190kph so why are the ice boat speeds always ignored and not recognized?

If you doubt me then please contact the great Buddy Melges, gold and bronze medalist, and Americas Cup winner at Zenda, Wisconsin next to Lake Geneva where these speeds in ice boat racing are commonly achieved.

Regards,
Peter Harken

Editor's Comment: Don't doubt you. Good point!

Sender: Ken Stafford Stafford
>
> Message: As Peter Harken already mentioned, today's ice boats commonly exceed this speed. But according to 'Boating Facts and Feats' (by Peter Johnson published 1976), the fastest official ice boat speed was recorded on Lake Winnebags, Wisconsin in 1938 by sailor John D. Buckstaff. It was a stellar 143 mph!

Editor: For those interested, that is 124 knots!